Oil around muffler

[cancrx]

I was looking at a used car and noticed there was oil around the entrance to the muffler (on the engine side). Has anyone ever seen this before. It was a honda with a newer Greddy muffler. Just wonder what it was doing there.

[sxtasy]

well the engine could have a leak and because it leaks when you drive, it has gotten on the whole underside of the car. The only thing I can think of. Is the oil only isolated to this one spot??

[Davetronz]

are we talking the exhaust manifold or the actual muffler.
There shouldnt be oil anywhere near the muffler, but the exhaust manifold or header might have oil on it from a leaky head/valve cover gasket.

[freeeked]

It was just around the entrance to the muffler at the back of the car. I don't think it was on the the whole under carrage. I'm stumped

[Davetronz]

Maybe someone used oil to put the peices together because they were tight fit??

[ryder_23]

Sure they wernt carbon deposites or something like that?

[hjr]

was it wet black or dry black? thats the best way i can think to describe it. Wet black would be very bad IMO as it mean oil has traveled all the way from the motor to the muffer which means there is a bad internal leak, but in that case it would also be comming out of the cat (if its there). Now if its dry black its just carbon residue and is not to be worried about.